Monday, May 20, 2013

How To: Crock Pot Bacon-Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken

Life has finally calmed down enough for me to start trying new recipes again. This one is courtesy of The Six Sisters Stuff blog and the original posting can be found here. This was very easy to make and turned out delicious. It was also my first time experimenting with slow cooking frozen chicken rather than thawed chicken. I honestly couldn't tell the difference. My new kitchen toy did come in handy though! Love my citrus  juicer!!!! So much easier than twisting it. I got an aluminum version at Target. I hear there are plastic ones at Wal Mart. I LOVE this thing!!!






Here's what you'll need.

Materials

  • Crock pot
  • Peeler
  • Small bowl/Pan
  • Spoon
  • 1/2 measuring cup


Ingredients

  • 3-4 chicken breasts
  • 1-2 pieces of bacon per chicken breast 
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (note--I used Jack Daniels BBQ sauce because I haven't made it to Whole Foods to see if I could find any Whole 30 compliant BBQ sauce so this is a slight cheat)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 apples, peeled and grated (I used 2 small gala apples)

Directions

Peel and grate your apples into a bowl or pan. I used a pan because I have a hand held grater that I could rest against it. Juice your lemon and add to the same bowl. Pour the sauce and mix together with a spoon. The finished sauce will look like this.





Next, wrap your chicken breasts in bacon. I used 1-2 pieces of bacon per chicken breast, depending on the size. Place the wrapped chicken in the bottom of the crock pot as seen below. 




Pour the sauce you've created evenly over the wrapped chicken breasts. This is how it will look just before you turn the pot on. Cook on low for 8 hours.




This is what the finished product will look like.





I served whipped sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli with this and it was delicious. Now I also have lunch for the next few days. Yum. 







Sunday, February 17, 2013

How To: Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Blueberries and Almond Butter

February is a sweets lover's dream come true with Valentine's Day and is quickly followed by Easter and all it's glorious candy treats. Chocolate/Cocoa isn't bad in and of itself--it's the added sugar that makes it intolerable to Paleo followers. I've found a 90% Dark Chocolate Bar from Lindt (easily accessible at your local Super Target) that is inexpensive, easy to melt, and makes a delicious garnish to your favorite fruit, nut butter, etc.. Here's what you will need:


Ingredients:

  • 1 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar. I used a 90% dark chocolate Lindt bar and the chocolate was a bit bitter. I'd probably use a 72-75% dark chocolate bar next time
  • 1 package of fresh strawberries, preferably from Plant City, FL as they are the best!
  • Half a container of fresh blueberries
  • Almond butter--I used some of the freshly ground from Whole Foods 
Materials
  • Wax paper
  • 1 microwavable container
  • 2 plates
  • Spoon
  • Microwave
  • Fridge/Freezer
Directions

Spoon desired number of almond butter balls and place on wax paper. Freeze so you can dip them later. I did this while breakfast was cooking and dipped them while dinner was cooking, so about 9 hours. Wash all of your fruit before dipping. Plant City, FL strawberries!!! Yummy!!!




 I started with the almond butter balls, which flattened out a bit despite the almond butter being refrigerated when  I first formed them. This is what they looked like straight out of the freezer.




Break the chocolate bar into pieces and place into the microwave container. Melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals. It took my microwave 2 minutes to melt completely .Cover a plate with wax paper. Dip the almond butter balls into the chocolate and make sure they are evenly covered. Then spoon them out and place them on the wax paper covered plate.







Next, dip your clean whole strawberries into the chocolate and place on a plate.










Never one to waste chocolate, I used the rest of my blueberries and put them in the container. I put the entire container in the microwave for 15 more seconds and used the spoon to stir the berries.








Once all of your dipping is complete, refrigerate the chocolate covered fruit for at least 1 hour before serving. Keep in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to eat. Now you have some tasty paleo treats to enjoy for the next few days. 








Sunday, February 3, 2013

How To: Make Paleo Pumpkin Cookies

This is a modification from a recipe courtesy of The Girl Who Went Paleo which can be found here. She characterizes them as Breakfast Cookies but I make them smaller and add them as a treat to any meal. Here's what you'll need.


Materials
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Teaspoons and Tablespoons
  • Cookie sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Spoon

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie in a can)
  • 1/2 cup almond butter (I make my own at Whole Foods)
  • 1/4 cup of honey (this is half of what the original recipe calls for--makes cookies less sticky)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup of almond flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup of organic rasins
  • 1/4 cup of while chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup of walnuts
  • 1/4 cup of sliced almonds

Note: I usually make a triple batch as the organic pumpkin I use comes in 1.5 cup packaging, however when I made these I used triple everything except for the nuts, raisins and chocolate chips which I only doubled. These are excellent chilled and keep very well in the freezer. Sometimes I just sneak one out of the freezer for a snack!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with the parchment paper. Mix all of the wet ingredients in the bowl first. Here are the wet ingredients, unmixed and mixed.










Add all the dry ingredients and mix again. Here are the dry ingredients, unmixed and mixed.











Scoop the batter into your desired size and flatten to taste as these cookies do not spread on their own. See the unbaked and baked versions below. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness.

















Remove from cookie sheet 2 minutes after cooling and place on cooling rack. Here's the finished product--enjoy off the cooling rack or place in an airtight container and refrigerate/freeze for later.




Saturday, February 2, 2013

How To: Make Buffalo Chicken Dip (Not Paleo)

As promised in an earlier blog, here's my recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip just in time for the Super Bowl. This is NOT paleo or Whole 30 because of the cream cheese, but I suppose if you took that out and just added a Whole 30 compliant hot sauce to the chicken that would work. First, make the spiced shredded chicken as outlined in this blog post.   You will use 2 shredded chicken breasts for this recipe.

After the chicken is prepared, place the shredded chicken into a casserole dish and pour hot sauce to taste. I usually make sure the majority of the chicken is covered in a medium sauce.





Place two 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese on top of the chicken and sauce. I use the full fat, regular cream cheese because 1. It tastes the best and 2. We know there is no reason to fear fat. This is a treat and as such it is better to eat the full fat version than the low-fat/fat-free/chemical substituted versions.




Microwave the dish for approximately 5 minutes, stirring after 2 or 3 minutes. The finished product will look like this.




Serve warm with celery sticks, tortilla chips, crusty bread and/or triscuits. This is also great leftover/reheated and makes a good lunch the next day. Go San Fran!

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Reflections: Week 4 + 2 days

It's hard to believe I'm sitting here writing about this Whole 30 being over already. I really can't believe how quickly this time passed. With complete sincerity I can tell you that the second Whole 30 is soooooooooo much easier than the first, which is probably a combination of being familiar with the rules and having experience with the cooking as well as a product of already cutting the majority of sugar out of my diet, even post Whole 30 #1. I hope you will find, just as I did the first time, that this isn't just some quick fix, some way to fit into your old jeans for a few weeks, but rather this way of eating is truly a lifestyle change that is worth sticking with for the long haul.

I can tell you that on Day 25 I started to get worried again, just like the last time.  I am still worried to be completely honest because to me, the Whole 30 provided a food security blanket. The rules are quite definite and I could always hide behind the very easy phrase "I'm sorry, I am doing a Whole 30" to ward off any temptations from my comfort foods. January was stressful enough professionally and February and March promise to be exponentially more stressful and chaotic. What if I turn to that red wine instead of cherry juice? What if I eat a whole pint of Haagen Dazs Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Ice Cream in one sitting? I toyed with extending this to a Whole 60 or Whole 90 but realized that I wouldn't be addressing the real problems that lie ahead of me: it would just be me consciously giving my emotions, and food of all things, all the power.

So, I've taken off the kid gloves, gotten a manicure and pedicure, put on my high heels and am ready to face whatever life throws at me with the lesson this Whole 30 has taught me: I don't need food to get through bad days, sad days, days my heart is broken or days of celebration. I eat to live, I don't live to eat. What is most important in life are the people who love you and who deserve your love in return. Don't miss any opportunity to tell and show them how much they mean to you. Don't forget to love yourself--you are amazing and got through this 30 day challenge that many people can't complete despite their best efforts. Spend time with the ones you love, perhaps over a home cooked meal of grilled grassfed beef steaks, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes, cinnamon apples and unsweet tea with lemon. Have fun cooking together, sharing and finding recipes, working out together, debating nutritional theories, shopping at local grocers. Smile. Forgive and  forget. And forgive my cheesiness ( I know cheese isn't Whole 30 compliant!).

What's next on the menu for The Daily Chomp? I'm still going to post different healthy How To recipes as time goes by and occasionally post other articles. I'll probably start recruiting y'all for another Whole 30 in April or May as I've found this is a good reset to get my mind and body back on track with clean eating, But tomorrow I will do the final weigh in and post it, have some of Krystal's homemade pumpkin bread for breakfast, call the first timer and my awesome sister Lori on the way to work to swap food plans, have lunch wherever the Lunch Bunch wants, have a square of dark chocolate Eric gave me for my birthday as I walk to afternoon court, take Mel out to dinner wherever she wants for being the best support/trial partner a girl could ever hope for, call Nerine, the bestest of  friends and fellow veteran of the Whole 30 who is just such a daily blessing to me and indulge in some of that Haagen Dazs with her over the phone as she enjoys one of our favorite Burger Fi meals all the while wishing I was in Florida with her, Fogo it up on Friday, and try to make friends with the strangely familiar woman in the reflection of the mirror who looks nothing like I did back in June. And now, I think we all deserve a virtual shout out.......






Sunday, January 27, 2013

How to: Make Paleo Ropa Vieja

Here's another crockpot recipe to help make Whole 30, and healthy eating in general, easier throughout the week. This tasty recipe was found and first tried by my sister. The detailed recipe can be found at http://ancestralchef.com/paleo-ropa-vieja-recipe/. It was very easy to put together and to make things easier I will retype up the ingredients and steps, but want ancestralchef.com to get full credit for this recipe! Here's what you'll need.


Materials:
  • 2 cutting boards
  • 2 sharp knives
  • Crockpot
  • Large frying pan
  • 1/4 measuring cup
  • 2 Tablespoons (one for the coconut oil, the other for the rest of the ingredients)
  • Garlic press
  • Table knife (to get tomato paste out of jars)
  • Fork (to flip meat while frying)
  • Disposable gloves (to mix ingredients pre-cooking)

Ingredients:
  • 3lb flank steak(**I only could find 2 lbs at the store; adjust salt and other spices accordingly, still use the same amount of peppers)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (for pan searing)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 (6oz) cans tomato paste(**The only sugar free sauce I could find was in 7oz jars at Whole Foods)
  • 3 peppers, sliced (**I used one red, one orange, one yellow)
  • 1 tablespoon onion flakes (or onion powder)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in the frying pan on high. While it is heating, slice up your peppers into slices.











 Slice up your flank steak into 2-3 inch strips against the grain of the meat.










Place the strips in the coconut oil to sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. 



While the meat is searing, place the peppers and the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot. Add the meat when it is done. It should look like this.



Put on your gloves and mix up all the ingredients. It will look like this when you are done.




Set your crockpot to cook! Note: the recipe calls for this to cook on "low" for 6 hours. My crockpot has settings for 4 hours and 6 hours as "High" and 8 hours and 10 hours as "low" so I set mine for 8 hours. Here's what the finished product looks like right after the lid is lifted. The picture to the right is after I shredded the steak--it virtually fell apart it was so tender.












This stew is divine and will make delicious, easy lunches for most of the week. Enjoy!






Sweet Dreams: The Importance of Sleep

I've never been good at sleeping. From a baby when I had colic, to a child who would sneak flashlights to bed to keep reading after bedtime, to a teenager with 2 jobs and a zillion clubs and classes, to an adult with law school and now with my career, sleep quite frankly seemed like a waste of time. There was/is always something more to be done, never enough time to do it. Over the years I've tried a ton of different over the counter pills, even prescriptions, in an effort to turn my mind off/be able to fall asleep. Ambien had a very negative effect on me (as my former roommate can attest to--oh the stories) but last summer I asked my doctor for another sample because I was so desperate to sleep through the night. A few nights of that brought back all the negative side effects and I began to look for natural ways to fall asleep. Why? Because sleep is important. Really important. A study by the Harvard Women's Health Watch suggests the following six reasons to get enough sleep.

  1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
  2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
  3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
  4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
  5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
  6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

I am by no means an expert but I've found that the following things/activities have worked for me and I hope they can help you get a healthy dose of nightly Zzzzs (7-9 hours a night).


1. Make your bedroom a calm, relaxing, stress-free environment.
Your bedroom should be a retreat, free of clutter, anything to do with work, and any unnatural light that may keep you awake (TVs, cell phones, laptops, etc.). Make sure the temperature is cool, but not cold, and that you have dark enough drapes to keep the street lights from keeping you awake.I usually sleep with the ceiling fan on and burn a little votive with some essential oils that help fill the air with a pleasant scent. The votive eventually burns out and provides very little light. 


Keep your bed neat and clean, free of any clothing, projects, etc.. Wash your sheets every weekend to make the sheets clean, soft, and inviting but beware of using overpowering fabric softeners or detergents as the perfumes may keep you awake. Don't ever do work in bed. This is your safe place. The safer and more relaxed you feel in your room, the easier you will be able to fall asleep.

2. Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake after sunset.
One of our judges always says, "Nothing good happens after midnight." When it comes to caffeine and alcohol, neither of these have any health benefits, but we're all human and enjoy them from time to time. If you choose to imbibe either of these, make sure that you do it earlier in the evening rather than later. If you enjoy a cup of hot tea before bed, make sure it is caffeine-free. Both alcohol and caffeine will interfere with your ability to fall and stay soundly asleep.

3. Take a magnesium supplement with dinner.
 I read about magnesium as a sleep aid on the Whole9 forum. I don't remember the exact science behind it, but apparently most of us are magnesium deficient and taking a supplement helps to relax and bring on sleep. I've done this pretty regularly since my first Whole 30 in August. It works! I bought the lowest dose I could find at Target for about $3.50. It is worth it!






4. Eat dark cherries for dessert or sip on cherry juice before bed.

Dark cherries and 100% cherry juice are also sleep inducing. The cherries themselves are very easy to add to your dinner/dessert and can be mixed with other fruits or with nuts. Cherry juice is wonderful to sip on during the evening and is quite tart. I usually just pour some in a small wine glass for both portion control and to serve as a red wine substitute during the Whole 30. Be careful and always read labels. While at Whole Foods, I was tempted to buy the organic version of the juice picture to the left. It was $4 more for the same sized bottle and yet instead of having 100% dark cherry juice, it also contained filtered water.




5. Roll out your muscles with a foam roller.
The foam roller is the best $20 you will ever spend. Mine is pictured to the right. I discovered this during my pilates class about 3 years ago. It is a wonderful way to release stress, tension and knots in your muscles. Every night before bed I roll out all major muscle groups (calves, quads, hamstrings, IT band, glutes, upper back/shoulders, neck). I usually go up and down each muscle 5 reps. The more you use your body weight, the deeper the stretch will be. Here is the link I posted a few days ago that has demonstrations of how to roll certain muscles out. http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/roll?page=1


6. Take a Epsom Salt bath.

I learned this trick from my yoga teacher during one class where I was the only student to show up and got a very individualized session. My shoulders, neck and hips were incredibly tight and we did a lot of exercises to loosen them up. I was in some pretty consistent pain and she suggested that tonight I drink plenty of water and take an Epsom salt bath in warm water to pull the lactic acid out of my muscles. I stopped at Target on the way home and bought Dr. Teal's Epsom salts in Calm, Relax, and Sleep. The Sleep (lavender) was way to overpowering for me but I like bot the Calm (chamomile) and Relax (spearmint). Follow the instructions on the bag, turn off the lights, light one or two candles and just soak in the tub. I usually almost immediately fall asleep afterwards, so I would suggest doing this towards bedtime.

7. Brush, floss, moisturize, and take out your contacts. 
You'd be amazed how these little things will help you sleep. I've found when I forgot to do any of the above, I just don't sleep well, especially if I leave my contacts in. Your eyes need rest and oxygen replenishment at night, which contacts inhibit.

8. Do bedtime yoga.
Don't be intimidated--this isn't a full hour long practice, and it isn't the time to push yourself into a deeper pose. Yoga before bed is a wonderful way to stretch, breathe and relax. This routine from Women's Health gives about a 15-20 min session with examples/explanations of each pose. Try it out--by the time you get to the end you'll be ready to fall sleep in no time.



The more consistent you can make your bedtime routine, along with a regular bedtime itself, the easier you will fall asleep, stay asleep through the night, and the better you will feel during the day....when you are eating good, healthy food and exercising those muscles of yours. It's all interconnected. Don't rue bedtime--rejoice when it arrives! I know I (finally) do. And, with that, I am going to go take a nap! :)

How to: Make Paleo Fried Chicken

This is another invention of my sister Lori's that she's graciously agreed to share. Southern gals (and guys) love some good fried chicken. This is a modified version of traditional fried chicken that is both fried and baked. Here's what you'll need.


Materials:
  • Small casserole dish
  • Small bowl
  • Fork
  • Tablespoon
  • 1/2 cup
  • Frying pan

Ingredients:
  • 3 chicken breasts (and tenderloins if they are still attached)
  • 1/2 cup Almond Flour
  • 2 tablespoons of garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons of basil
  • 1 tablespoon of oregano
  • 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix almond flour and spices together in small casserole dish with spoon.






















Beat two eggs with a fork in a small bowl. Pour olive oil into frying pan and heat on medium.




Dip the chicken into the egg, one chicken breast/tenderloin at a time until each side is fully coated.




Once coated with egg, dip chicken into the spiced flour mixture, evenly coating each side and using the spoon to scoop mixture if necessary. Note: I used as little almond flour as possible in order to save it since it is expensive. If you are using more than 3 chicken breasts, you will need to add more flour and spices to have enough to coat your chicken.










Place all the chicken in the frying pan and let fry for 7 minutes on each side.




Once both sides are fried, place the frying pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.




Serve hot out of the oven with your favorite sides and properly store any leftovers for future meals.